Possibly My Most Ambitious Project

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Today I got started on a mosaic pattern that may be my most ambitious. I'm going to attempt to build & inlay a live oak tree into a mosaic billet.

I got the billet that I will use for the leaves made as well as another that will be the Spanish moss. Much of the rest will need to be done in a canister with different powders. I didn't get photos of each step so if you have questions, feel free to pose them.

Curious me but how would it work forged out? A beginners assumption that it would squish the tree shape. If it was cut into wafers and laid/welded onto another thin billet it would resemble a forest. Im probably quite wrong but either way its very beautiful.

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Curious me but how would it work forged out? A beginners assumption that it would squish the tree shape. If it was cut into wafers and laid/welded onto another thin billet it would resemble a forest. Im probably quite wrong but either way its very beautiful.

I'm going to have to be careful to not distort the tree as I forge it.

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I got my live oak profiled today. I'll try to get the Spanish moss added tomorrow. The profile here is of 15N20 .065 bar. The leaves on the end of each branch are damascus as willl be the moss.

This entire unit including the cardboard on which it is glued will go into a canister. I will then fill the inside of the tree with a 2% nickel powder to match the 15N20 and everything outside of the tree with 1084 powder

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I got the Spanish moss (W pattern damascus) added and the canister made. The next step will be to add the two powders. The outside will get a 1084 powder and the inside of the live oak will get a 1084 plus 2% nickel. My biggest concern is upsetting the pattern while welding the canister. I'll probably give it an extra long soak @ welding temp and then lightly work the canister by hand before going to the press.

Talk about a newbie!!!!! I'm TOTALLY in the dark on this one. Just sittin' here in my warm house (15 degree wind chills here) wishin' I understood what you're doing Gary! I'll go back in my shell and just wait and see.